Flexible heartbeat

sensor for wearable

device
Shehda Zahda

Mar, 1 2023
 Outline
• Aims
• Introduction
• Material and methods
• Results and discussion
• Conclusions
 Aims
Design a circuit using strain gauge sensor to measure heartbeat
with:
Accuracy.
Comfort.
Power consumption.
Durability.
Size.
 Introduction
• A flexible heartbeat sensor is a device that can detect and
monitor the user's heartbeat in real-time.
• This technology has many applications.
• One popular method is to use a piezoelectric material.
• The sensor can be embedded into the wearable device's
wristband.
• Another approach is to use optical sensors.
 Introduction
• Resistive strain-gauge sensor that
can detect resistance change.

• The strain gauge sensor detects

mechanical strain.
 Material and methods
 Design of strain-gauge sensor
 Material and methods
Cross-section of the fabricated
strain-gauge sensor.
 Material and methods
• Fabrication procedures of the strain-gauge sensor.
 Measurement procedures
• The fabricated sensor was
positioned on the artery and
wound around the wrist to
measure the strain on the radial
artery.
• At the same time, a PPG signal
was simultaneously measured
on the index finger of the same
arm on which the artery is
measured.
Results and discussion
 Characteristics of the fabricated strain-gauge sensor

• Changes in electrical resistance

ratio according to normal force
(pressure from 0 to 930 kPa).
 Results and discussion
• Changes in electrical resistance
ratio according to bending force
(i.e., bending radius from 5 to 100
mm).
 Results and discussion
• Difference of the electrical
resistance as a function of
temperature.
 Results and discussion
Measurement results of heart rate
• Strain-gauge sensor results on the
radial artery for 10 s.

• The number of red circles shows

the number of heartbeats.
 Results and discussion
• PPG results on the index finger for 10 s.

• Both were measured at the same time

on one test subject.
• The number of red circles shows the
number of heartbeats.
 Results and discussion
• Heartbeat count comparison for
three volunteers (1 min).

• Person A is a man in his thirties,

B is a man in his thirties, and C
is a woman in her forties.
 Results and discussion
 Repeatability results of the strain-
gauge sensor
• Finally, repeatability for the proposed
sensor was also tested, and the results are
shown in Fig.

• The advantage of the proposed heart rate

sensor is that it can detect not only the timing
of the heart pulsation but also the amplitude or
shape of the pulse signal.
 Conclusions
• Demonstrate a flexible heartbeat sensor for wearable device.

• The proposed sensor showed a linear relation for an applied normal force
of more than 930 kPa, with a minimum detectable force of 6.25 Pa.

• The sensor can detect a bending radius from 5 mm to 100 mm.

 Conclusions
• It can analyze not only the timing of heart pulsation, but also the
amplitude or shape of the pulse signal. Major advantages of this device
can be summarized as followings;
(1) Low power dissipation.
(2) Wider dynamic range.
(3) Precise pulse measurement.
 Conclusions
• Although I believe the sensor is excellent for personal usage in monitoring
one's health, it shouldn't realistically be relied upon for a variety of reasons:
1. The potential for environmental factors, such as temperature and
atmospheric pressure, to have an impact.

2. It might be impacted by any other muscular impulse, which would lead to

inaccurate results.
 Reference
• Y.Kwaka,b, W.Kima, K.Bum Parka, K.Kima, S.Seob, Flexible heartbeat
sensor for wearable device, Korea University, Sejong, Republic of
Korea,V94, 15 August 2017, Pages 250-255.